


As If It's Our Last

by Alina0



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Memories, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25844566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alina0/pseuds/Alina0
Summary: Gladio laughed. Ignis didn’t mean to sound funny. Actually, he was so serious because they were talking about his best friend’s future. “No, Igs. They want me to get married when I grow up. I honestly prefer to marry – dunno, you. It’s better than some stranger.”“Then, marry me,” seven-year-old Ignis had said.“I wish it were that easy,” responded Gladio.“It can be easy.” He flashed a smile.Or,Five times Gladio ran away to escape from reality, and the one time Ignis did.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	As If It's Our Last

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to [HardNoctLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardNoctLife/pseuds/HardNoctLife/works) for helping me with editing this fic! :) I checked it for the final time so all the remaining mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Also Ignis isn't blind as he was in the canon. Enjoy <3

  1. **Age of Six: Childhood Memories**



When Ignis walked inside the Citadel for the first time at the age of six, he was greeted by the entire Amicita family. Of course, it was quite weird to him. Mainly because he only had his uncle to call his own ‘family,’ while three people were standing in front of him calling themselves Amicita. They seemed to be related. It was confusing, but Ignis was the type of child who would adapt easily. 

And yes, a part of him questioned the whole concept of ‘family,’ and love. Not that his uncle hadn’t been kind to Ignis. No, his uncle was one of the most caring people he had ever seen in his life. They had told Ignis that when his parents died and went to heaven the month after he turned three, his uncle volunteered to share the love and provide the small child with care and food. Ignis? He was more than happy to have one loving person in his life than to have multiple indifferent ones. He was just too curious to know what it was like to have several people in your family. 

On his journey to be trained and get prepared to serve the future prince, Ignis met Gladiolus Amicitia, who was also one of the nicest people he had ever met. Gladiolus—who kindly asked Ignis to call him Gladio because that was what friends did—was much different from his uncle. The way he talked, walked, behaved. Mainly, the way he loved was dissimilar. The general idea of finally having a friend despite being grown in a lonely, unfriendly environment was nice. 

Ignis was always a quiet person—or in better words, shy. Just like others had told him—and communicating with Gladio? It was one of the most challenging things he had done other than learning how to protect the future prince. But that was something he couldn’t neglect. The Scientia family was made to be the kings’ advisors and companions, just like Amicita’s duty was to shield them. 

At least Gladio was there to stay for the long haul, and that made Ignis quite happy.

One day, he got the news that Gladio was gone, nowhere to be found. Usually, they would call the guards to search for a missing person who lived as a member of royalty, but the king asked Ignis to do it first since they were friends. It was easier for him to bring the seven-year-old Shield back.

They had a spot. Since those two boys had grown alongside the prince and were like his brothers, they were allowed to visit the Citadel’s exclusive parts. The first place Ignis had visited was the private yard on the back of the building—a breathtaking area with ponds, surrounded with various flowers, and a small teahouse made for the royal children to play in.

“Gladio?” Ignis called as he climbed the ladder and entered the treehouse. The wood cracked and caught the other boy’s attention sitting in the middle of the tiny place. “They are looking for you. We’re worried about you.”

Gladio turned his head, and his shoulders lifted in a half-shrug. “Who? They don’t care. Nobody cares.” 

He stepped forward to sit down next to his best friend. “Why? Did they do something bad?”

“They want me to marry somebody. A girl, maybe.”

As far as Ignis knew, usually, children didn’t marry. But then again, Ignis had barely learned anything about royal marriage, so he didn’t have the right to judge. His uncle told him that the kings arranged a marriage between their child and another person in the royal family to continue the bloodline. That rule didn’t mention the Shields and advisors, though, so he couldn’t understand why ‘they’ wanted Gladio to marry a girl.

Well, Ignis didn’t know any girls either. He couldn’t give his honest opinion about that subject because Gladio was his _only_ friend. If people married because they liked each other, Ignis would volunteer to marry Gladio. They were friends, and both liked each other. Besides, they could understand one another better than anyone else. Yes, if that made the young Shield happy, Ignis would marry him right away.

He drew in a sharp breath and settled his gaze on Gladio. He cleared his throat. “Now? I’m sorry. I didn’t know Shields had to marry this fast. Do you know who?”

Gladio laughed. Ignis didn’t mean to sound funny. Actually, he was so serious because they were talking about his best friend’s future. “No, Igs. They want me to get married when I grow up. I honestly prefer to marry – dunno, _you._ It’s better than some stranger.”

“Then, marry me,” Ignis had said.

“I wish it were that easy,” responded Gladio.

“It can be easy.” He flashed a smile. Gladio shot him a glance and frowned, hands crossing against his chest. “My uncle tells me that you can achieve everything you want if you believe in it. You can be anything you want if you believe in who you are.”

That wasn’t something Ignis would say. He just repeated what his uncle always used to tell him. It was beautiful, though. Ignis could never forget those two sentences.

There was a moment of silence as the Shield put his hands upon Ignis’s and gave them a gentle squeeze. 

“Anything?”

Ignis nodded in agreement. “We can go back. They are still searching.”

“You’re the best, Iggy.”

“You know, Gladio, you can talk to me whenever you feel sad. That’s what best friends are for, right?” Ignis leaned closer to Gladio and cracked a sheepish smile, pecking the older boy on his cheek. There was a hint of pink blush growing on Gladio’s face when he pulled away. 

  1. **Age of 17: Rain and Shine**



“Look, if you continue to grab the— are you even listening to me?!”

Gladio’s deafening shout made Ignis jerk up with a gulp. He always despised it when the Shield yelled because when he got exasperated, nothing could calm him down. It was terrifying. 

They were currently in the training room when Noctis dropped onto the floor, panting, his weapon tossed to the other side of the room.

Noctis started before he was able to say anything: “Oh my gods, I don’t care! Stop being so pathetic. I’m not as strong as you, Gladio. I need a break once in a while.” And the answer made Ignis’ eyes fall shut. He knew what was about to happen. 

“ _Brat._ ”

“I’m not a brat! I’m not a kid anymore.”

“BRAT,” Gladio growled, a vein popping out of his neck with anger. Settling one hand on his hip, he grabbed Noctis’s collar and forcefully pulled him up onto his feet. It seemed like he was hardily resisting the urge to yell insults at the prince. “What the hell is wrong with you?! Why can’t you be grateful for _once_? Iggy and I are working our asses off to teach you something, and all you do is whine!”

“Well, maybe you could slow down and learn how to teach a guy something. Because now? I’m learning absolutely nothing!” Noctis shouted back, his voice echoing through the room.

“I’m done with this shit.”

“Gladiolus, wait!” 

But it was too late. Gladio had already grabbed his stuff and rushed outside, disappearing out of sight without changing his training clothes. Ignis and Noctis shared a glance. The prince nodded at him with a gesture of understanding, and he hurriedly got changed into more proper attire. Once Ignis used the elevator and approached the upper floors, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his unread messages. 

**_Gladio_ ** _[4:18 PM]: don’t worry about me_

 **_Gladio_ ** _[4:19 PM]: I’m fine just needed some fresh air to calm down and think_

He let out a sigh of relief and raised a wry smile.

 **_Ignis_ ** _[4:26 PM]: Do you mind telling me where you are currently?_

 **_Gladio_ ** _[4:26 PM]: I’m okay Iggy I told you I just need some time don’t be worried about me_

 **_Ignis_ ** _[4:27 PM]: I would be worried about you regardless of how safe you think you are. You are not in the right mind. I believe you may need somebody to stay with you._

 **_Gladio_ ** _[4:28 PM]: hmm if you say so_

 **_Gladio_ ** _[4:28 PM]: remember the park we used to play when we were younger? It’s only a few streets away ;)_

 **_Ignis_ ** _[4:29 PM]: I’m on my way_

He arrived about ten minutes later. After searching for a short while and spotting the Shield, he strolled toward the playgrounds and quietly settled on the bench next to Gladio. The place was beautiful. It was quite a big park with plants and trees surrounding it, making the area the best for morning runs and other activities. Ignis would be lying if he said that he didn’t miss visiting the park with Gladio. He missed doing a lot of things he used to do with his best friend in the past.

“Sorry about that. Lost control. It happens,” Gladio started after a long time staring at the children playing on the playground. It reminded Ignis of his childhood—those times where they would hide inside the treehouse without worrying about a single thing in the world.

Ignis slowly shook his head. “It’s quite alright. I was merely worried about you, Gladio. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“We are,” answered Gladio with a chuckle. “Kid always nags. I’m tired of reminding him if I’m strict, it's all because of his own safety. He won’t be able to defend himself in the future if we aren’t there.”

“Give him time. He will learn that fact sooner or later.” Ignis stared heavenward, his lips pressing together. “This place reminds me of our childhood. We were restless and constantly playing. Sometimes, I wish I could go back in time and experience those years once again. They are my favorite.”

Gladio laughed. “You were such a kid. Telling me we can marry and all. Good days, huh? We can never have that innocence and purity back.”

“You might not believe this, Gladiolus, but I thought that marrying meant improving your bond with loved ones. I was uneducated on that topic and wanted to do the best I could to keep you content and happy,” he explained. “You seemed unhappy with the idea of marrying a woman. I wonder why. You’ve had a decent number of female partners thus far.”

“Nah, Iggy. I’ve never had anything serious. They were all teenage boy’s excitement. If I had to choose between you and other—”

“You would choose others,” Ignis completed for him instead. There was a pause, and he felt a strong hand patting him on the back.

Gladio sighed. “I wanted to say I would 100% choose you. You’re not an option, Igs. You’re what I always find myself running to,” Gladio told him. Those beautiful words coming from someone like him were odd enough, let alone when he was talking about Ignis. “You know, I love you. I always have. As a friend or whatever you wanna call it.”

Ignis loved him too, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it just yet. Perhaps they could wait. He hoped that it wasn’t too late before he could work up the courage to say those three words.

  1. **Age of 20: Doom and Gloom**



“Noctis, have you seen Gladiolus? He seems nowhere to be found.”

It was one of those days in which the Shield had disappeared without informing anyone. Ignis was already preparing for the worst—this usually happened when Gladio was either extremely mad at someone, or something terribly wrong had happened. He wanted to assume Gladio was exhausted, but Ignis knew him too well to assume that. 

Noctis jerked his head toward him and inched ahead. “He said he was going to get some sleep. He wasn’t feeling good anyway. He had an argument with somebody on his phone, but I didn’t understand who the other person was,” the prince spoke softly. “Maybe he’s in your apartment. He said things about how a nap on his bed would be good for him.”

“Thank you for the information, Your Highness.” He smiled and walked away, slowly, hesitantly. 

They shared an apartment for the days they didn’t have to work in the Citadel. Noctis had insisted on getting one, too, and sometimes Ignis would pay him a visit to make sure everything was under control. If Gladio wanted to run away, their apartment was the best option because he would have never thought of that.

Arriving about 15 minutes later, Ignis exited his car and walked to their apartment. Gladio didn’t open the door for him, but luckily, he had the keys and unlocked it himself. As he entered the apartment and closed the door behind him with a low thud, his eyes met Gladio’s. He was lying down on the couch with one hand folded on his forehead, his shirt gone, and his expression pained. 

“Gladio?” he whispered. He stepped forward, and sat on the edge of the sofa next to the Shield, settling a hand on his knees. 

“You came. Nobody else would,” Gladio mumbled instead. 

Ignis smiled. He lifted a hand to check Gladio’s temperature and see whether he had a fever. He seemed fine. It looked like the only issue was what Noctis had mentioned before. “That’s because I truly care about you. Any time without your presence is far too long, I suppose.” 

Gladio shifted next to him, hoisting himself up and propping on his elbows. “You mad at me?”

“Mad? Of course not. Worried? Yes, I believe I am worried about your health and condition.” 

“It’s okay, Iggy. I just had a small argument with Iris. She came home pretty late last night and got us worried sick. Kid’s growing up,” the Shield explained as he heaved a deep sigh. “It took a lot out of me. She never listens to us. It’s kinda difficult.”

“Oh. That’s fair.” Ignis inclined his head with a gesture of understanding. He let his gaze wander on the other man sitting there as if he wasn’t half-naked in front of his friend with his hair and appearance all messy. “So... do you want me to fix your hair for you, Gladio?”

“You know, I love it when you call me by my shortened name.” Gladio grinned. Ignis flashed a smile and let his eyes bore into the Shield’s. “And yeah, the answer is yes. Who wouldn’t love somebody like you to touch their hair?”

“You are flattering me.” He chuckled. Gladio sat up and turned his torso so that his back was now facing Ignis. 

Drawing in a deep breath and exhaling, Ignis gently ran his fingers inside the soft brown hair. First, he slowly massaged the other man’s scalp to help him calm down. Then, he gradually went down and separated three sections of Gladio’s hair to braid it. “You’ve been the type to escape from reality since the very first time I met you.”

He heard Gladio chuckle. “So you still remember that?”

“Absolutely. I would never forget those pleasant memories. We used to hide and spend most of our days in the treehouse. We could still do that if you hadn’t gotten this enormous.” Ignis raked his fingers through the Shield’s hair and continued. 

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“Perhaps.” Ignis smiled. 

A pause—Gladio looked like he was about to say something, but they died at the tip of his tongue. He finished the braid when the other man handed the hair tie to him. Ignis had never seen him like that. It was adorable and hilarious at the same time, and he loved how Gladio looked with braids.

“Don’t hold in your laughter,” Gladio encouraged him, and he snorted, creating a sound that left him too embarrassed to look up. “I could kiss you.”

Well, Ignis almost, _almost,_ told him to kiss him. Not that he would complain about it. How many years had they known each other for? 14? 15? It was already _too_ late.

He wished he could be bold enough to admit everything, but it was always easier said than done. Gladio was a handsome, strong, and kind man. Ignis? He didn’t have any chance in front of someone as amazing and fantastic as the Shield. But there was hope. Ignis hoped that he could someday express his genuine emotions regardless of what Gladio’s answer might be. 

  1. **Age of 28: Darkness**



Ignis never assumed how the absence of the prince would affect them. A lot, definitely. The world had fallen into eternal darkness. Every day, he would watch a large number of people dying of all ages. The only way the light could be brought back to Eos was Noctis somehow returning home and them reuniting.

This ‘hide and seek’ game they were playing for years now never ended. Sometimes, Ignis wished he could, too, run away from reality and wait for Gladio to find him—because he would be the only person to travel to hell and back because of Ignis—and he would also do the same even if in the end it meant death. It was amazing that he never failed to find the Shield. They knew each other too well.

It was a stormy night, rain dropping onto the rooftop each second when Prompto called and informed him that he wanted to talk to Gladio. And of course, he was missing like every other time before. Ignis was quick to dress up appropriately and leave the house. He merely realized that he was soaking wet on his way. It didn’t matter anymore; Ignis was already halfway there and couldn’t risk going back. 

“Sometimes I do wish we could go back. Perhaps 20 years back.” Ignis stepped ahead. Hammerhead. _Of course,_ they had made lots of memories here. Gladio could never abandon this place. The fortunate thing was that Ignis’s house was near the area, and he could easily visit any time he wished.

“Why?” Gladio turned just enough to lock their gaze together.

A step forward—Ignis put a hand on the other man’s arm and looked up despite rain falling onto his glasses. “It has been years. It’s already too late. I should have known better,” he muttered. Amber eyes stared at him. “To fix everything. To tell you that I loved you as well years ago and not now. Only the six know if we are going to be alive tomorrow or not.”

“I— it’s alright, Iggy—”

“I believe it’s quite not,” he cut in with a sigh, the steam appearing in the air due to the freezing weather. Ignis’s hair had fallen all over his face, his clothes untidy and messy, and he couldn’t care less about those for the first time in the world. “I love you, Gladio.”

Gladio smiled. He stepped closer to decrease the amount of free space between them. A hand brushed against Ignis’s cheeks. “Love you too, gorgeous.” And the remaining distance was soon closed as Gladio pressed their lips together. It was short, sweet, breathtaking, and everything Ignis had imagined it to be. He let his eyes fall shut, and a tear slipped down his face. Gladio pulled away from the kiss with a smile. “I don’t care if it took us long enough. I’m not going to lose you. I have always loved you.”

Ignis just wanted it to last. Nothing but Gladio mattered to him in that moment, and he didn’t care about the world around them. It was Ignis, Gladio, and their love. That was enough. They loved each other.

  1. **Age of 31: Light**



“The treehouse?” Ignis asked, his tone soft and low. “It was too easy to find you, love.”

Gladio shook his head. “I’m not hiding. Maybe a bit. But I’m here to see how ruined it is.” He looked down with a sad smile and walked toward him. Ignis gave him a chuckle in response. “Can I hold your hands?” He nodded, reaching for the other man’s hands to hold them tightly. “I don’t wanna lose you, Igs.”

“You are not losing me, love.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely,” he reassured him. “Noct is back. Prompto is with us. He managed to restore the light and Insomnia. We are all safe. You are safe with me.”

Gladio paused to lean closer and put a kiss upon his forehead. “If years ago they’d told me you’re going to become this important to me, I wouldn’t have believed them. But look at me now. I can’t live without you. You’re the most important person in my life.”

Honestly, Ignis agreed. Gladio was far too important to him. No, Gladio was his _world_. He was no longer there without his world. Gladio was the reason that he kept going.

**+1**

The truth was, Ignis liked escaping from reality, too. When he was younger, he had to learn how to protect the prince and couldn’t be as bold as Gladio. But now, Noctis had grown up. He wasn’t that weak teenage prince anymore. He could protect himself, and Ignis was no longer afraid to leave everything behind for a while. 

“Ignis, hiding from everyone? Who would’ve thought?” he heard Gladio’s pleasant voice behind him. _Bingo,_ Ignis thought. _You found me as I’d expected._ He turned his head and offered the Shield a wry smile. “You see? Noct’s rebuilding our yard. We’re gonna have a bigger treehouse this time. He’s not a kid anymore.”

“We helped him grow, and now he is assisting us with the things we are not capable of. He has learned his lessons, love. I told you someday he would.”

“You did. Have you ever guessed anything wrong?” Gladio kissed the top of his head and pulled the advisor into a tight hug. “You’re good at everything, gorgeous. And you’re all mine. What did I do to deserve you?”

Ignis laughed. He adjusted his glasses. “No. I should be the one asking you.”

“I guess we both turned out lucky,” Gladio replied with a smile. He pulled away from the hug, stepping back. He held Ignis’s hands, and cleared his throat. “I’m not very good at giving speeches like you, but I’ll try my best... you know Iggy, it was about 25 years ago, exactly this place when you told me to marry you.”

Ignis gulped thickly. “Gladio…?” he said with an undertone, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Since then, I couldn’t stop thinking about that and how happy I am around you. You made a better person, and I want to live the rest of my life with you. So – I want to ask you something right here, right now. I want you to marry me.” Ignis’s mouth parted slightly and let out a gasp. The next second, he was breaking into a smile, then into sobs. “Wha— you okay there, gorgeous? I didn’t want to make ya upset. We can pretend this never happen—”

“Yes!” he nearly shouted with delight. Ignis clasped a hand over his mouth and covered his eyes with the other, tears running down his cheeks in a hurry. Gladio squeezed his hands. Taking a deep breath, he continued as he wiped the tears off: “I mean, yes, I will marry you. I will marry you, love. How could you ever doubt that? I—”

“C’mere.” Gladio spread his arms. He pulled Ignis back into his embrace. The other man let him cry on his shoulders with joy and happiness, tears darkening the bright shirt. “I always loved you, Iggy. I loved you since the moment I met you, and I will never stop loving you. It just keeps getting more and more each day.”

Ignis nodded, wrapping his arms around Gladio’s muscular body. “I’m not ever letting you go, Gladio.”

That was the truth. Nothing else mattered. In the end, they were together regardless of the obstacles that might be in front of them with rings around their fingers. In the end, Gladio was there, and that was enough for him. With Gladio, he always felt like home and safe. He couldn’t wait to spend many dawns with his one and only love. 


End file.
